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NB: this has been cross posted with permission from DP with the OP's permission and they would like to point out though that this is written by a Vet in a practice
'These are my experiences from working with one particular practice..other practices may have different protocols..but ultimately the outcomes and choices should be roughly the same'
Euthanasia
I thought i would start a thread on this instead I hear nightmare stories from people regularly about how dreadful their pets' passing was..for all different reasons..the ability of the vet, the condition of the animal etc. People so often dont know what to expect, they arent sure what is acceptable or not and often dont question the vet before, during or after the event.
In the case of dogs, generally the euthanasia drug, Euthatal (or similar) is put into the main vein on the dog's leg..the vet nurse will usually clip up a patch over the vein and spray this with spirit. The Euthatal should be drawn up according to the size/weight of the animal..the nurse will then raise the vein and the vet will put the needle in..some blood will go back up the needle into the syringe which tells the vet that they are correctly in the vein, the vet nurse will then get the silent nod to release the pressure on the vein and this will allow the Euthatal to flow..sometimes this will happen initially but in old/ill/very small animals, the vein may blow..no more Euthatal can be put into the dog through a blown vein..so another vein will need to be used..usually on the other front leg. If the same happens, i personally dont think its acceptable to the owner or the animal to start shaving up back legs etc..at this point, the animal should be sedated to allow the Euthatal to be given into an organ. In straight forward cases of euthanasia..most animals die very quickly..the vet should lay the animal down and after a few minutes check for a heartbeat. A percentage of animals will make sounds after death..it isnt that they arent dead..its often just everything inside losing air etc..facial twitching, gasping, even a barking/whining sound, legs moving and sometimes a 'wag' of the tail also occurs..this can be frightening/upsetting for owners if they havent been warned that it can happen. Often faeces or urine will come out of the animal..again this is due to the euthanasia.
In some old/ill/very small dogs the animal doesnt have sufficient blood pressure for the vet to find/get any Euthatal into the vein..in this case the animal should be given a heavy sedative..something like Domitor..its worth noting that Domitor may cause the animal to vomit any food it has had recently..within 5mins or so the dog will go very heavy and sleepy..at this point the vet should be able to administer the Euthatal into the heart/other vital organ. This method is also preferred in the case of aggressive dogs or very young puppies..anytime a vein is not readily accessible.
In cats it can be more difficult, cats often resent being held tightly and to ensure a safe/stress free passing..the second method is often favoured...the cat is less upset being being held firmly and there is less risk all round of bites/scratches.
No owner should ever feel like they dont have a say in the passing of their pet..many pets will pass easier in their own home..some owners stay, some dont..there is no right or wrong..any owner that feels that their animal is distressed has the right to ask the vet to stop and try another method. The owner, if they want to stay should be encouraged to speak to the dog and keep the dogs attention..the owner talking calmly to the dog often does help.
Within the practice where i work no animals are euthanased and put into cremation bags straight away..the bodies are laid out in a room for a period of time..after being placed in the bag their bodies are taken to the mortuary where they lie in cold storage until the cremation company come to collect them...this is generally with 48hrs of death.
We have visited the cremators that we use..individual cremation and cremation where there are several animals is done properly and with care, attention and respect.
Small furries, parrots, birds etc cannot be injected into the vein as they are too small..they can be gassed down to a stage of unconscious and then euthanased into the heart.
Euthanasia is THE toughest decision that we as owners ever have to make..there is so much upset, heartache and guilt involved in the decision..when things go wrong, the process is made even more difficult to cope with.
Dont ever feel that you dont have a voice for your animal at the end of his/her life..as you have tended, loved and cared for them in life, you are paying for the right to do the same for them in death.
I hope this post hasnt upset/offended anyone..and when the time comes, i hope it might help someone know what should be acceptable and what shouldnt.
xxx
(if anyone would like to read the original thread and answers to q's that came up you can find it http://www.dogpages.org.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=207544&st=45 )
'These are my experiences from working with one particular practice..other practices may have different protocols..but ultimately the outcomes and choices should be roughly the same'
Euthanasia
I thought i would start a thread on this instead I hear nightmare stories from people regularly about how dreadful their pets' passing was..for all different reasons..the ability of the vet, the condition of the animal etc. People so often dont know what to expect, they arent sure what is acceptable or not and often dont question the vet before, during or after the event.
In the case of dogs, generally the euthanasia drug, Euthatal (or similar) is put into the main vein on the dog's leg..the vet nurse will usually clip up a patch over the vein and spray this with spirit. The Euthatal should be drawn up according to the size/weight of the animal..the nurse will then raise the vein and the vet will put the needle in..some blood will go back up the needle into the syringe which tells the vet that they are correctly in the vein, the vet nurse will then get the silent nod to release the pressure on the vein and this will allow the Euthatal to flow..sometimes this will happen initially but in old/ill/very small animals, the vein may blow..no more Euthatal can be put into the dog through a blown vein..so another vein will need to be used..usually on the other front leg. If the same happens, i personally dont think its acceptable to the owner or the animal to start shaving up back legs etc..at this point, the animal should be sedated to allow the Euthatal to be given into an organ. In straight forward cases of euthanasia..most animals die very quickly..the vet should lay the animal down and after a few minutes check for a heartbeat. A percentage of animals will make sounds after death..it isnt that they arent dead..its often just everything inside losing air etc..facial twitching, gasping, even a barking/whining sound, legs moving and sometimes a 'wag' of the tail also occurs..this can be frightening/upsetting for owners if they havent been warned that it can happen. Often faeces or urine will come out of the animal..again this is due to the euthanasia.
In some old/ill/very small dogs the animal doesnt have sufficient blood pressure for the vet to find/get any Euthatal into the vein..in this case the animal should be given a heavy sedative..something like Domitor..its worth noting that Domitor may cause the animal to vomit any food it has had recently..within 5mins or so the dog will go very heavy and sleepy..at this point the vet should be able to administer the Euthatal into the heart/other vital organ. This method is also preferred in the case of aggressive dogs or very young puppies..anytime a vein is not readily accessible.
In cats it can be more difficult, cats often resent being held tightly and to ensure a safe/stress free passing..the second method is often favoured...the cat is less upset being being held firmly and there is less risk all round of bites/scratches.
No owner should ever feel like they dont have a say in the passing of their pet..many pets will pass easier in their own home..some owners stay, some dont..there is no right or wrong..any owner that feels that their animal is distressed has the right to ask the vet to stop and try another method. The owner, if they want to stay should be encouraged to speak to the dog and keep the dogs attention..the owner talking calmly to the dog often does help.
Within the practice where i work no animals are euthanased and put into cremation bags straight away..the bodies are laid out in a room for a period of time..after being placed in the bag their bodies are taken to the mortuary where they lie in cold storage until the cremation company come to collect them...this is generally with 48hrs of death.
We have visited the cremators that we use..individual cremation and cremation where there are several animals is done properly and with care, attention and respect.
Small furries, parrots, birds etc cannot be injected into the vein as they are too small..they can be gassed down to a stage of unconscious and then euthanased into the heart.
Euthanasia is THE toughest decision that we as owners ever have to make..there is so much upset, heartache and guilt involved in the decision..when things go wrong, the process is made even more difficult to cope with.
Dont ever feel that you dont have a voice for your animal at the end of his/her life..as you have tended, loved and cared for them in life, you are paying for the right to do the same for them in death.
I hope this post hasnt upset/offended anyone..and when the time comes, i hope it might help someone know what should be acceptable and what shouldnt.
xxx
(if anyone would like to read the original thread and answers to q's that came up you can find it http://www.dogpages.org.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=207544&st=45 )
when I thought I was such a hard B**ch nothing would move me. The one thing I regret when our first lab/baby (had her before we had real kids) was not telling the family she was going to the vet's for the last time. They were aged 2,5 and 7. What would you have done???
